Theodor Seuss Geisel, born March 2, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts, is best known by his pen name Dr. Seuss. He began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for various publications such as Vanity Fair and Life, an illustrator for advertising campaigns, and a political cartoonist.
He published his first children's book, And to Think That I saw it on Mulberry Street in 1937. It was rejected 27 times before Vanguard Press published it. He published over 60 books, some of which have been adapted into eleven television specials, five feature films, four television series, and a Broadway musical.
His commercially released film Design for Death in 1947 won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. His original short story Gerald McBoing-Boing won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short film.
He has received two Primetime Emmy Awards. One for Outstanding Children's Special for Halloween is Grinch Night in 1978, and Outstanding Animated Program for the Grinch Grinches the Cat In The Hat in 1982.
He won a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation in 1984, and his birthday has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day.
Geisel passed away in September 1991.
